Surgical Tooth Extractions for Golders Green Patients

A surgical extraction becomes necessary when a tooth is badly broken below the gum line, has curved roots, or is stuck in the jawbone. It is common for wisdom teeth that lack space to erupt. We also recommend it to remove fractured teeth so no fragments remain. Our 3D CBCT scanner shows the exact tooth position and its relation to nearby nerves and sinuses, which helps plan a safe procedure for patients from Golders Green and across North London.

First, you have a 45 minute consultation that includes a 3D CBCT scan to decide the best approach. The procedure typically lasts 60 to 90 minutes. We ensure the area is fully numb with local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure rather than pain. The dentist makes a small gum incision to access the tooth, which is removed in sections to reduce trauma to the surrounding bone. The site is then cleaned and dissolvable stitches are placed. For example, a patient from Golders Green had a fractured molar under an old crown. The scan showed complex roots, and the in-house surgical extraction took about 75 minutes, preventing future infection.

Your safety guides our decisions. While we handle many complex cases in-house, we refer patients to a specialist oral maxillofacial surgeon for certain situations. These include deeply impacted wisdom teeth where the roots are wrapped around the main jaw nerve (the inferior alveolar nerve), cases requiring general anaesthesia or deep sedation, or patients with complex medical histories. If a CBCT scan reveals a high risk of nerve damage or other complications, we arrange a referral to a trusted specialist. A patient from Hampstead was referred after their scan showed a wisdom tooth root pressing directly on the nerve canal, ensuring they received the safest possible hospital-based care.

Following your extraction, proper aftercare is key. For the first 24 hours, avoid hot food, strenuous exercise, and rinsing your mouth to protect the blood clot. You should expect swelling and discomfort for 2-3 days, which you can manage with over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen. Stick to a soft food diet for several days. After 24 hours, begin gentle saltwater rinses to keep the area clean. Most discomfort and swelling subside within a week. Red Flags: Call us during office hours (Mon/Wed/Fri 9-5, Tue/Thu 11-7) if you experience severe, increasing pain after day 3 (a sign of dry socket), uncontrolled bleeding, or a fever. For out-of-hours emergencies, call 111.

Extraction is not the only option. In line with our practice philosophy of saving natural teeth, we first assess if the tooth can be saved. Advanced root canal treatment is often a viable alternative for infected or badly damaged teeth. If the tooth's root is healthy, a root canal followed by a crown can restore its function and appearance for many years, avoiding the need for an extraction and subsequent replacement with an implant or bridge. We'll always discuss the pros and cons of saving the tooth versus removing it during your consultation.

To help you choose, here are key questions to ask when you talk with us or another practice in North London: What does the fee include? Does it cover the 3D scan and follow-up visits? Based on the scan, what are the specific risks for my case? Do you have experience with this type of extraction? In what situations would you refer me to a specialist oral surgeon? What are my options for replacing the tooth after it's removed? Do you accept private dental insurance like Denplan or Cigna?